What to Do When Tomatoes Have a Low Fruit-Setting Rate? Causes and Solutions
Tomato is a vegetable we are all familiar with. It is delicious and deeply loved by consumers, is grown over an extremely wide range, and has very high economic value. However, a low fruit-setting rate during cultivation is a headache for farmers: a low fruit-setting rate means lower tomato yields and lower income for farmers. So what are the causes of a low fruit-setting rate in tomatoes? And how should it be solved? Let's take a look together.
1. Excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer
Most plants cannot grow without nitrogen, as it promotes plant growth. However, if too much nitrogen fertilizer is applied during the tomato seedling stage, it will cause excessive vegetative growth and leggy growth, which will affect flowering and fruiting later on. In addition, after a one-sided application of nitrogen fertilizer, it will inhibit the plant's absorption and utilization of elements such as calcium fertilizer and potassium fertilizer, causing nutritional imbalance in the plant and likewise resulting in a low fruit-setting rate.
Solution: Tomatoes have different fertilizer requirements at each growth stage. During the seedling stage, nitrogen fertilizer is the main type, but it should not be applied in excess, so as to avoid leggy growth. When the seedlings grow vigorously, growth should be controlled in time and leggy branches removed. When the plant flowers and sets fruit, nitrogen fertilizer should be applied sparingly and phosphorus and potassium fertilizers increased, which can noticeably improve the fruit-setting rate.
2. Temperature
Tomatoes have relatively specific temperature requirements. During the seedling stage, if the temperature is too high, the plant will grow excessively, affecting reproductive growth and leading to a decline in the fruit-setting rate. In addition, temperature is also important during the flowering period. The suitable temperature is around 25-26 degrees. On cloudy days when the temperature does not reach the standard, ventilation can be reduced or stopped; at noon when the temperature is higher, ventilation should be strengthened to lower the indoor temperature.
Solution: Temperature must be strictly controlled. During the day, it should not exceed 30 degrees, and during high summer temperatures it should not exceed 35 degrees, so as to avoid affecting the plant's flower bud differentiation. At night, it is generally 12-18 degrees and should not be too high, so as to avoid leggy stems and the dropping of flowers and fruit. During high temperatures, the temperature can be lowered by shading and sprinkling water; during low temperatures, ventilation can be reduced to raise the greenhouse temperature.
3. Blind use of growth regulators
Besides conventional nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers, tomatoes also need various other trace elements during growth. Therefore, during cultivation, foliar fertilizers or growth regulators are generally sprayed to supplement trace elements for the plant and promote its growth. This was originally a mature method of increasing yield, but some foliar fertilizers contain certain hormones. These will stimulate rapid plant growth, causing excessive growth of the plant, thereby affecting the fruit-setting rate. In addition, many farmers, in order to increase yield, blindly use various growth regulators, which also causes a decline in the fruit-setting rate.
Solution: The use of growth regulators and foliar fertilizers must be reasonable, and they should not be applied excessively or too frequently. Generally, spraying 2-3 times during the flowering and fruiting period is sufficient.
The above is an introduction to the causes of a low fruit-setting rate in tomatoes and the solutions. We hope it can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.